Phoenix breweries begin to use reclaimed wastewater to make beer

A new type of beer is on the way to several local breweries today as Phoenix brewers begin using reclaimed wastewater to make their beer.

Starting today, a half-dozen local breweries will begin receiving treated wastewater from the Pima County Wastewater Reclamation project.

[RELATED: First look at the mobile plant that will purify wastewater for beer]

"Unlike your regular tap water, it doesn't have that hardness," said Jeff Prevatt with Pima County Wastewater Reclamation. "It doesn't have a lot of those minerals that normal tap water would, it's very pure water."

The wastewater will be coming from the City of Phoenix 23rd Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant and will be delivered directly to the local breweries including Two Brothers Tap House and Brewery, Mother Bunch Brewing, Goldwater Brewing Co. and more.

Pima County's "Mobile Purification Plant" has already been tested out in Tucson and Flagstaff.

As gross as it may sound, the water has gone through five stages of filtration, which makes it drinkable.

"This water is ultra pure so the brewers are going to have to salt it back up," said Prevatt. "But unlike your regular tap water, it doesn't have that hardness. It doesn't have a lot of those minerals normal tap water would."

[RELATED: Arizona breweries to make beer with treated wastewater]

Over 800 million gallons of wastewater is generated daily. If all that wastewater is purified, it could save about 40 percent of the water we take from the Colorado River.

Pima County also plans to produce bottled water, which could be ready for distribution in just a few weeks.